Supreme Court quashes student protest FIRs, directs no further investigation

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (September 1) quashed all FIRs registered against protesters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) after the Centre moved the court seeking relief for those booked during the July student protests. Invoking its inherent powers to ‘do complete justice’ under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court ordered the quashing of all FIRs related to the protests.

Earlier in the day, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced that it was withdrawing its call for a protest march on September 5. The decision came after the Centre and four states urged the Supreme Court to quash cases filed against students who participated in protests over the alleged paper leaks in Delhi and other parts of the country.

“As co-convenor of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), I want to state that in view of the positive assurances of the Government of India and the judicial sanctity bestowed upon them today, and in view of the order being passed by this Hon’ble Court, the CJP deems it appropriate to withdraw the call for the march on 5th September and looks forward to the compliance of today’s order,” CJP’s Saurav Das told the three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

Also Read: Cockroach Janta Party calls off September 5 march in New Delhi after Centre's assurance in Supreme Court

The court on Tuesday heard applications filed by the Delhi Police and the states of Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal seeking the quashing of FIRs registered against students who participated in the July protests. On August 24, the CJP announced plans for a peaceful march from India Gate to the Delhi Police Headquarters on September 5, protesting what it described as the government’s failure to honour commitments made on July 25. During Tuesday’s hearing, the Centre assured the Supreme Court that it would fulfil its earlier commitment to provide compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide.